No litter box after travel

asavelli

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I've just moved halfway across the world with my two cats in a 25hr journey that included two flights, the last one being a 15hr flight. One cat is absolutely fine, but the other one is quite stressed after the experience. I've placed them both in a secluded area with food, water, Feliway and other anti-stress items, and while they are both eating and drinking fine, the stressed cat is mostly lying down on the ground and is not going to the litter box after 24 hrs of arrival. He is also keeping quite, not vocalising much. Obvious first question is, should I be worried? Second question is, what do I do so that the kitty does his business? I brought some of their litter along, even a little bit of their old used litter so that they would feel more at home in the new box...any help is greatly appreciated!!
 

cat-tech

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Don't use used litter.  Always use fresh.

Were they on-board with you in your seat on the airline, or were they in cargo?  If cargo, they could be stressed to the max with all the noise and temperature fluctuations.

Also depending on how much kitty ate before the flight will result in how much he is due to produce at this point.  If he's eating and drinking fine, it may just require another day for him to feel comfortable.  In the meantime, spend as much time in their room with them as possible, lots of attention, helping him to feel safe and secure, and maybe give a small amount of hairball remedy twice a day for a couple days to see if he'll produce.  If in a couple more days and he is still "depressed", please see a vet.
 

maddies momma

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This sounds very concerning to me. When on the plane did they have access to litter or did they go to the washroom at all? If he didn't go to the washroom on either flight and hasn't gone since and it's been 24 hrs since then that is very concerning. Especially if he is just laying around. If a cat doesnt urinate or can't urinate for a long period of time it can be an emergency. Is he alert and responsive? Stay close to him and watch for further signs of illness. If he doesn't improve or gets any worse please call a vet or take him in to a vet. If a male cat has a urinary blockage it can become life threatening.
Also the used litter is probably fine if it's jut a small layer underneath fresh litter so that it has their scent.
 
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asavelli

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thank you both for replying, he seems to be fine now. he did do his business during the flight in the crate, and he is also eating and drinking normally. he's a very sensitive cat and i think he's just getting used to his new environment. the vet at outbound inspection told me to watch out if he was not doing gis business or if he was being overly vocal, but i'm happy that he seems to have done both number one and number two in the new litterbox, and also seems to b up for some exploring -- i think all should be well! thank you for the support!
 

maddies momma

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thank you both for replying, he seems to be fine now. he did do his business during the flight in the crate, and he is also eating and drinking normally. he's a very sensitive cat and i think he's just getting used to his new environment. the vet at outbound inspection told me to watch out if he was not doing gis business or if he was being overly vocal, but i'm happy that he seems to have done both number one and number two in the new litterbox, and also seems to b up for some exploring -- i think all should be well! thank you for the support!
That's great news! I'm glad he's doing well now. It sounds like he was just stressed out. I'm glad he's recovering.
 
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